The Ruling on Teaching Knowledge for a Wage

The questioner:
Welcome.

The Shaykh:
If it has become an individual obligation for him, it is not permissible for him to take a wage for it. It is permissible for him to take from the public treasury what suffices for his needs and those of his dependents. If he does not obtain anything from it and teaching prevents him from earning a livelihood, then it is as if it had not become an individual obligation for him. And if he does not obtain

The questioner:
if he had not been called, meaning if he had not been called,

The Shaykh:
it did not become an individual obligation for him. Yes.

The questioner:
And if it has not become an individual obligation for him, it is permissible for him to take a wage for it according to Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and the majority of scholars, as in Sahih al-Bukhari from Ibn Shu'ayb in the story of al-Muzayq: "It is a right that you did not take a wage for it, [it is] the competence of Allah."

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
for the foolish ones, what died of the Qur'an, so how [is it with] the hadith of 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit that he taught a man from the people of foolishness something of the Qur'an, so he gave him a bow, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked about it,

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
and he said: "If you love that you be girded with a bow of fire, then accept it," so he left it. It was narrated by Abu Dawud. And a similar report was narrated from Abu ibn Shu'ayb, traced to the Prophet, and if its chain is authentic, it is hoped for by many scholars, among them Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr, on the condition that when he taught him for the sake of Allah, it was not permissible for him to [take a reward].

The Shaykh:
for Allah, when he answered for the sake of Allah.

The questioner:
When he taught him for the sake of Allah, it was not permissible after this to consider [taking a reward] in place of the reward of Allah by that statement. But if it was from the beginning for teaching for a wage, then it is valid, as in the hadith of al-Nadhir and the hadith of hair in the betrothed, and Allah knows best.

The Shaykh:
The weak hadith, the distinguishing hadith of the eggs in the path of Allah, such and such, and what is not in Sahih, but it is authentic on this, on the condition that he teaches him, if he does not fear evil, then he does not say anything about it, and to the end of the chapter on reciprocity, not from the chapter of lessons, but to please the heart of the one who I see behind him, so it is not included in this. And for this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the man who proposed to a woman to teach her so that it would be her mahr, and it is in the two Sahihs. Thus, Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that al-Bukhari in Sahih, when a group of Companions passed by a group of Arabs and they had a chief who was a fool who had done everything for them except that it did not benefit them, so he said: "Did you teach us [the Qur'an]?" They said: "Yes, but we did not stay with you, so it was not easy, so it is necessary to make a provision." So they agreed with them on a portion of sheep. So some of the Companions saw in al-Fatihah, so it was as if he was burned by the punishment, and Allah spared him and gave him the portion of sheep. So they said: "We will not enter until we reach the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." When they arrived at the Shaykh and informed him, he said: "Did you envy and strike so that I would be with you in a matter?" It was said to their souls, and so is what came in its meaning. So the point is that the teacher has no harm in teaching the Qur'an. If it is facilitated from the public treasury, that is better. And if it is facilitated from the public treasury, it is permissible for him to take from the people of the village or from a dirham they collect for him something so that he can devote himself to teaching their children, and there is no blame on him in that, as the companion of the Prophet took, and as the woman took, and as the woman was amazed by the Qur'an in place of the mahr.